A vacant motel on Union Avenue is getting a major transformation, and city leaders say veterans will be among those who benefit the most.
“Well I was crying, and I was just so grateful that they would do such thing for anybody and I was honored to be the first one here,” said Air Force veteran Roger Fox.
Air Force veteran Roger Fox had been living in his car for three years, bouncing around from shelter to shelter looking for a place to call home.
Struggling with medical bills, Fox says he didn't know what to do, that is until a friend told him about the opening of Covey Cottages in Oildale.
“My case manager Jackie she said Roger fill out this paperwork you’re going to be the first one to get a place and I was like wow so me and my roommate Casey we were the first ones here and it was fantastic,” said Fox.
Fox has lived at Covey Cottages since August of 2025. He says the stable housing and support services provided by CAP-K have changed his life.
Now, they’re looking to do it again with a new project.
“This project is a permanent supportive housing project in partnership with the city of Bakersfield and CAP-K will be the developer for construction but also the operator,” said Chief business development officer for CAP-K Pritika Ram.
The project will transform the Ramkabir Motel on Union Avenue into the Ramkabir Permanent Supportive Housing Project, a new facility featuring 30 permanent supportive housing units.
Half of those units will be reserved for veterans experiencing homelessness or at risk of becoming homeless.
In addition to housing, Pritika Ram with CAPK says the project will also include a community gathering space and offices for on-site support services designed to help residents transition toward long-term stability.
“Outside of just providing the housing we wanted to make sure that they knew someone cares about them and we have individuals that have lived experience and experience working with this population so they can meet them where they’re at,” said Ram.
Ram says some of those services will include access to case management, mental health, substance use treatment, health care coordination, employment assistance and life skills training.
A total of $14 million in Homekey Plus grant funding to has been alloated for the project, with $10 million going toward construction and the rest going toward operational costs that will cover the first 15 years.
Ram says construction is set to start this September and will start to house residents cinemas September 2027.
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